Good to know. I take it you mean specifically this:

I know it's been a while, but I hope everyone here is doing well. I still have Irrational Exuberance but sadly between three little additions to the family and work, I don't get to exercise her much anymore. That's not to say that I don't love the car or fail to have a perma-grin every time I drive her though! This summer will be a somewhat busy one for her, including a Becker-ectomy (to replace the failing factory stereo), a climate control display replacement (Audi part, oh well), and some small details like new wheel crests (my OEMs are now completely gone and faded into oblivion).

After 12 years of ownership, it's perhaps not too surprising that the car is now featuring some rust spots, the most visible of which is in the driver-side wheel well. I wonder if there are any effective DIY solutions for small rust areas... I have some replacement paint and I was planning on sanding and 'rust converting' and priming the area first. However, I wonder if there are particular rust converters / primers that you have had good experiences with?

Also, the control stalk assembly for the side-view mirrors has come loose - any suggestions on how to best re-attach it?

All the best to you all and thanks for the help in the past! Constantin

PS: After 3 years, I still have yet to get around to extracting my CDs from the factory OEM 6-CD changer that has jammed. Go figure! Kids!

Good to see you posting again and glad to see you still enjoy the Boxster.

After a few decades of dealing with rust-prone cars (all cars before 1975 LOL!)...I have only found one product that really stops rust dead in its tracks.

The original POR-15 formula in Gloss Black.

The reason it works so well is that it cures by absorbing moisture. Another plus is that you don't have to completely remove the rust before applying it...just the loose, scaly stuff if it has progressed that far. Don't put this off because "rust never sleeps"!

Don't get any on your hands because once it cures you can only remove it by mechanical means (i.e., grinding or sanding it off). Solvents will not have any effect on cured POR-15.

Regards, Maurice.

[www.por15.com]

No, it's this stuff: [www.por15.com]

The one at your link is used to apply as a topcoat and is (somewhat) optional.

Regards, Maurice.

You guys are amazing and thank you for all the recommendations.

The area of rust is the leading lip of the chassis that extends from the driver door to the wheel well. Thus, it is somewhat visible and not easily removable. However, the lip area is limited - maybe 3"x1" or so, and I plan on taking off as much rust as I can, doing the rust treatment and then coating the results with a paint that matches the body (polar silver). Unlikely to be a perfect repair but also in an area that is not that important visually speaking. I mean, that chassis lip is usually covered in road gunk! It's also likely why that lip became rusty in the first place, i.e. getting sandblasted by road debris.

Elsewhere, on the underside of the car I am going to apply the full POR15 treatment to keep water out, i.e. inside the wheel wells where black on black is not likely to be very visible. The best time for this is likely in the fall when I am changing the wheels anyway.

I have noted a couple of minor rust/rub spots here and there (the area where the top rubs against the A pillars comes to mind, or random road chipping) that I plan to simply clean, prime, and paint over with body color and clear coat. I don't see the point of putting a lot of $$$ into a car that may be mechanically healthy but 12 years old... at least until the whole body needs a refresh.

As Maurice had commented, the POR-15 stuff is mentioned on quite a few car enthusiast sites. I've never used it myself, but it sounds like some pretty tough stuff. The only complaints I've read about it are that it doesn't have a UV inhibitor in it. Shouldn't be a problem for wheel wells since it won't see direct sun. There are similar products out there with UV inhibitors in them, but they can get pricey. I would be a bit more hesitant on coating over that rust without removing as much of it as I absolutely could. The POR-15 will slow it down for sure, but the Neil Young reference (above) still rings true.

My recommendation is to head to Harbor Freight (or Lowe's or wherever else) and pick up some Evapo-Rust. Then, head to your local eco-food store and pick up some xanthan gum (powder). The Evapo-Rust is pretty watery, so adding a little bit of the xanthan gum to it will increase viscosity and make it more of a gel that will stick to the rusty surface you're wanting to treat. Brush on some of the gelled Evapo-Rust and leave it for a few days. Wipe/wash it off with water, brush it with a steel brush and apply it again. Repeat until you don't see any more rust. Stuff really works well if you're patient. After you're happy with how it looks, wash it down really well (use acetone or another grease remover to make sure your surface is really clean) and hit it with POR-15, or use a self-etching primer and then a few coats of an epoxy paint. Standard spray paints are okay, but they're soft and porous, so you have to apply them regularly if you want to keep the rust at bay. Have also used the cold-galvanizing zinc sprays, but they're really soft and don't have good adhesion --wouldn't recommend that path because of that.

Now, if the piece of metal that's rusted can be remove from the car to treat, I have a different recommendation than the Evapo-Rust. Doesn't sound like that's the case though.

Boy, it's almost like I've had to do this before (sigh).

-Ryan

I ask because this is the first report I've seen of Boxster body part rust. Nuts and bolts, yes.

Constantin: Is the panel original? Ever been in an accident? Ever treated with some rust prevention treatment other than at the factory?

Hi Mike,

Yes, this is an original panel and no, it was not involved in an accident. I've never treated the car to anything but a waxing from time to time (and certainly much longer periods now than in the past, thanks to three kids!)

Inside the wheel well, I also saw some streaks of rust, ditto the engine bay. I attribute it to the harsh winters here (and yes, she gets driven in the snow, slush, and salt).

I have isolated rust spots elsewhere, such as where the rubber of the hardtop and soft-top slowly ate its way through the paint thanks to me not being as diligent as I should have re: wiping those areas with gummipflege, etc. prior to install / uninstall. Live and learn!